Herzlich Willkommen!

May 19, 2017

On Monday 8th May, Noadswood played host to 49 year 8 students from the Christian von Mannlich Grammar School in Homburg, which is in the South-West of Germany. It was a great day, which started off in the hall with a greeting and introduction to the school by Miss Marshall. Then our German friends had a mini-tour of the New Forest, led by Noadswood student Johnathon Stevens, going through Beaulieu, hearing about the history, flora and fauna of the area and finishing with selfies with the donkeys and ice cream at Hatchet Pond.

After this came tours of the school by OUR year 8 students. Then came a thought-provoking presentation by Mr Denkinger, the German school trip leader, about the German school, followed by a bilingual ‘getting-to-know-you’ speaking competition with the German students and our year 8 students learning German. This was followed by a quirky cultural quiz, where teams of German and English students had to answer such weird and wonderful things as, in which country is it illegal to flush the toilet after 10pm?

At lunchtime, we took over the drama studio and the amphitheatre (thanks, Ms Costa!), and year 9 Language Leaders fed the German students ‘English peculiarities’ such as custard creams, crumpets, flapjacks, shortbread, salt and vinegar crisps and pickled onion monster munch, as they don’t have these in Germany. Word quickly spread and more Noadswood students came to say hello!

In the afternoon, it was ‘getting-to-know-you’ time for our year 9 students learning German, with part two of the weird and wonderful quiz, with a bit of English/German speed-dating thrown in.

At the end of the afternoon, Mr Denkinger and his teachers presented Ms Marshall and the MFL language teachers with a wonderful Saarland flag, magazines, badges and some German chocolate, which MIGHT be presented to the year 8 tour guides if it doesn’t melt! ;0)

It was a really enjoyable day, and thanks are due to all who helped it be a success. We are hoping to be hearing and seeing more from our friends in the future, so watch this space!